The coming of the 1900's century brought rapid and dramatic changes to Refugio County. In 1905 the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway was built through the county, opening the  area to development. Beginning in 1906 promoters subdivided the Bonnie View, Hynes, Gullett, and Rosborough ranches into farmlands, and the communities of Tivoli, Bonnie View, Austwell, Woodsboro, and Bayside were soon begun. The number of farms in the county jumped to 236 by 1910 and to 310 by 1920; by 1930 there were 507 farms in the area.
Many of the new farmers planted cotton. As late as 1900 only 674 acres in the county were devoted to cotton, but production of the fiber expanded to 4,000 acres by 1910 and to 25,000 acres by 1920; by 1924 more than 34,000 acres were planted in cotton, which had become by far the county's most important crop. Of the 33,000 acres of cropland harvested in 1930, more than 25,000 were devoted to cotton. Meanwhile, though rangeland was being diverted to crop farming, cattle ranching remained an important part of the local economy and culture; in 1930, 36,000 cattle were reported in the county.
 The expansion of farming and the oil and gas industry during the first three decades of the twentieth century were reflected in the area's growing population, which rose to 2,814 by 1910, to 4,050 by 1920, and to 7,691 by 1930. Cotton production in the area dropped significantly during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and by 1940 only 18,000 acres were devoted to the crop. The county lost more than 20 percent of its farms during that period; by 1940 only 396 remained.
Today, agriculture is one of the cornerstones of the Refugio County economy. It consists of farming (21% of land mass)- grain sorghum, corn, wheat, and soybeans with the largest portion of land being utilized in cotton production.
Farm land in production is equal to 505,954 acres and the average size is 1,847 acres. The market value of production for the county has decreased by around 12% from 1997 to 2002 from $24,246,000 to $21,419,000, this is due largely to drought, and increased fuel prices. The average market value of production per farm is reported as $78,172.
Beef production in Refugio County has traditionally been the largest agricultural enterprise in dollar value and land mass (75% Total land use). Typical cattle enterprises consist of beef calf, stocker cattle, and slaughter cattle production.
From
2002 census data, Refugio County livestock sales accounted for $8,872,000.00 production value. The total quantity of cattle and calves sold equaled 8,663. The typical cattle operation consists of Brahman influenced, crossbred cattle due to the extremely heavy brush conditions found in Refugio County.
A fledgling aquaculture industry exists in the eastern portion of the county. A large shrimp/catfish farm operates just souteast of Austwell. Other possible ventures in aquaculture in the interior of the county have been rumored.
The county harbors a wide variety of wildlife species, including deer, javelina, bobcat, quail, muskrat, beaver, mink, ring-tailed cat, badger, fox, turkey, duck, geese, jacksnipe, and sandhill crane. Packaged deer, dove, quail, and nilgai hunts generate supplemental income for county famers and ranchers.. |
